Spirits
by ajfankeith
Summary: A one-shot short story.


Spirits

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_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV_

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He knew, deep down, that he was destined to arrive at this place. Something unearthly and incomprehensible had summoned him here. Moments earlier, it had felt strange to be floating in the air, looking down on his old, worn-out body lying on the bed. He knew that his time had come; he had felt Jackson's presence just before the end. He had not been frightened; Jackson was near, he could sense it! He had spoken to Adam, telling him that everything would be OK. This was not the end, but a new beginning...a fresh start; far away from the pain and suffering of the Earthly world.

At first, swirls of dense mist surrounded him, making it impossible to distinguish any features or landmarks. He still had the sensation of floating, but it felt different now; like this was his natural form; ethereal, surreal, no sensation of pain, hunger or thirst; just a deep contentment. He knew that there was someone waiting for him; someone he needed to be with; the only person who had made him complete in his Earthly life!

Suddenly, the swirling clouds cleared and Aaron was now floating in a black void; an endless, starless expanse of nothingness! Yet, he was not afraid; he still knew that this was where he was meant to be! As he drifted onwards with his strange voyage, he looked down at himself. Where his body used to be...there seemed to be a bubble; a shimmering ball of light! He almost felt that he should catch his breath, but he was not breathing! All the things that he had once known no longer existed...breathing, hunger, smell, touch; all these things were not necessary now! However, he knew that something very strong still lived on...it was love!

He had never felt so at peace! He knew now that love always survived, far beyond the life-span of a mere mortal; it was the one thing that continued on into infinity. It was the most powerful emotion in the entire universe. He looked again at his floating, sparkling form and he realised what he had become...a star; a bright star shining in the cosmos! The Aaron-star!

Then, he felt it; a calming, soothing feeling that enveloped him and gave him solace...a solace that he had never felt in life! As he welcomed this new sensation, he saw, in the distance, another bright, shining orb of light and he knew that it was the Jackson-star! As he watched, the Jackson-star approached him slowly, drifting towards him like he had all the time in the world and, of course, he did! All the time in the universe!

Aaron-star knew that he needed to be with Jackson-star. He could see Jackson's face clearly now; a look of love and trust shone out. Jackson looked young, just as Aaron had always remembered him, but Aaron knew that he was ageless; there was no 'old' or 'young' here; age was an Earthly thing! Then, as he drew ever closer, he could feel the orb surrounding him beginning to melt. At the same time, Jackson's orb did the same and the two began to fuse together as one! This fusion felt a thousand times better than Earthly sex! On and on it went, until Aaron-star did not know where he ended and Jackson-star began! Their whole life-essence seemed to blend as one!

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Adam wandered out of the hospital in a daze. His life-long friend, his best mate for all these years, was gone! Tears filled his eyes as he caught sight of his reflection in the plate-glass of the main entrance doors. He did not recognise the greying, balding man staring back at him. Where had the years gone? It was a dark, clear night and he suddenly felt so terribly alone. He consoled himself that he was there for Aaron in his final hours. His friend was incoherent at the end, but he had heard him babbling about Jackson. There was a name he had not heard in a while! Adam had known all along that Jackson had always been the only one for Aaron, even though he had lost him so many years before. He always found it a little strange that Aaron had never met anyone else, but he knew all along that his first love would be his last. He gazed up into the dark, cloudless sky and noticed a bright star directly above him. As he looked, another bright star nearby appeared to move towards it and join with the first. He blinked, bleary-eyed; and decided that the tears filling his eyes were playing tricks on his eyesight. Somehow, the sight brought him comfort; yet he did not understand why!

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"I've been waiting for you!" Jackson's voice filled Aaron's head. His lips were not moving, yet Aaron could hear every word clearly. Even though they had left their mortal forms behind, Aaron felt Jackson's kiss and he realised that the power of physical love was so strong that it transcended this new, spiritual existence.

"You've waited all this time?" Aaron also spoke with his mind.

"Time? What is time? That doesn't exist here! Welcome to eternity!"

They were united; Aaron's thoughts were Jackson's thoughts. They had become one being; one entity. Their star would shine as one of the brightest in the heavens. Their eternal spirits merged as one...forever!


End file.
